Hiccups that some people spell as hiccough are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm muscle. They occur suddenly thus causing worry about the cause. These muscles contractions (spasms) snap shut and produce the hiccup sound.

The medical term for hiccups is synchronous diaphragmatic flutter or singultus. In physiology terms, hiccups occur when the diaphragm suddenly contracts involuntarily and simultaneously, the voice box contracts. The vocal folds close as well, and these 3 actions block the flow of air.

Often, hiccups are periodic hence just cause a temporary minor annoyance. Hiccups can prolong, but this could be a signal of another major medical problem or a wonder.

Hiccups usually stop after a few minutes or hours. Those that last longer than 2 days are known as persistent hiccups. Intractable hiccups are those that continue for over a month and are very rare. If hiccups last this long, they may cause other issues like exhaustion, weight loss and lack of sleep.

The longest period of hiccuping lasted for 68 continuous years. Charles Osborne for Athona Iowa who was born in 1894 got his name if the Guinness World Records for hiccupping from 1922 to 1990. He got hiccups lasting up to 40 times for a minute before slowing to 20 in his last year.

All effort to stop the problems through several surgeries did not succeed. The problem stopped naturally in 1990 a year before his death.

Hiccups that last more than 48 hours occur due to various reasons that you can group into these categories.

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Central nervous disorders

An infection or a tumor on the central nervous system or damage to the CNS because of trauma may disrupt the normal body control of hiccup reflex. Examples that make the CNS affect disrupt hiccup reflex include:

Meningitis

Encephalitis

Stroke

Multiple sclerosis

Tumors

Traumatic brain injury

Nerve irritation or damage

Damage or irritation to the phrenic or vagus nerves that act as diaphragm muscle could be a cause or long-term hiccups. Factors that damage or irritate these nerves are:

Respiratory conditions like pneumonia, asthma or pleurisy of the diaphragm

Damage due to cancer or side effects of treatment, e.g., chemotherapy

Risk Factors for Hiccups

Being is a man a risk factor for long-term hiccups as they get more of them than the women.

Other factors that increase the risk of getting hiccups include:

Conditions affecting the autonomic nervous system that also affects heartbeat, coughing, and breathing.

Some people develop hiccups after a doctor administers general anaesthesia or after surgical procedures involving abdominal organs

Other medical conditions including bladder irritation, pancreatitis, and hepatitis or being pregnant are also risk factors for hiccups.

There is no explanation for hiccups that last for incredibly long periods like the case of Osborne who had the conditions for 68 years. His hiccups began when a 158.8 kilogram (350 pounds) pig he was trying to weigh before slaughter fell on him. It is essential to identify the cause of hiccups helps to determine faster ways to stop them.

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